NGC2477 Puppis

[TrevorW]

Target: NGC2477
Camera: Canon 350d Unmodified
Exposure Capture: DLSR focus
Scope: Skywatcher 120 f/5 Achromat
Mount: EQ6 Pro
Exposure Setting: Prime focus, ISO800 ICNR off Daylight WB
Exposures: 3 x 3 minutes 9 minutes taken 13/1/09
Seeing: Average
Guiding: Orion Starshoot Autoguider using PHD
Focus: DSLR Focus
Stacking: PS CS3
Processing: PS7, PS CS3, PSP
(note: PHD failed due to low cloud I left the scope unattended)

Info: Situated in the Puppis

This cluster was discovered by Abbe Lacaille when he was in South Africa during 1751-1752.
Burnham states this is "probably the finest of the galactic clusters in Puppis," but not in Messier's catalog and many other observing lists as it is situated to much south. However, where it comes sufficiently high over the horizon, it is a splendid rich cluster of over 300 stars, crowded in a 20' field, situated about 2.5 deg NW from 2.25 mag, extremely hot O5 supergiant Zeta Puppis (this star, at 2,400 light years distance, is one of the brightest stars known, with absolute mag -7.1, corresponding to 60,000 solar luminosities).
The brightest star of NGC 2477 is of mag 9.81, the hottest of spectral type B8. The cluster's age has been estimated at about 700 million years (Sky Catalog 2000.0)

[Octane]

Trevor,

Pretty.

Regards,
Humayun

[ngcles]

Hi Trevor & All,




Yes I'm a big an of both this cluster (nice pic) and in particular the star Zeta Puppis (Naos). It is in fact my most favourite'st star of the lot and I was just admiring it while bobing around in the pool outside (its still 27 deg C here just before midnight).

There is some new info about this star here:

http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/naos.html

Courtesy of Jim Kaler that paints the picture well. It is probably the most powerful star within 1000 ly of the Sun, the earliest O-type (O5) bright naked eye star in the sky, the 2nd brightest O-Type star in the whole sky after Zeta Orionis and shines with a total luminosity 360,000 times greater than the Sun.


Best,

Les D

[multiweb]

Very Xmassy :)

[renormalised]

Very nice shot...love the diff' spikes:D

[TrevorW]

Reprocessed without diffraction spikes

Thanks for the feedback

[renormalised]

That's better....more natural look. But I like the xmassy feeling of the first shot:D It's a far "prettier" piccie:D

You know, even though your scope is an achromatic, the amount of fringe doesn't detract from the piccie. Have you thought of grabbing a baader fringe killer filter?

One thing I'd like to query from the Sky Catalog notes. B8, at 700Ma... I don't think so!!. Nominally, a B8V star would be around 3.3 - 3.5M solar. Even at the lower end, that would mean a main sequence lifetime of only 505 million years. Unless it's a B8III-II, but then that would make it about B6-7 when it was on the Main Sequence...even worse. A more likely spectral class would be A0-A2 given that 700Ma would mean a mass around 2.8M solar, if on the MS. A good example of a similar star would be Regulus.

[TrevorW]

I usually use the SV80ED for astro but I thought I'd try the 120 f/5 achro for a change due to it's larger aperture.

Filters IMO are way too expensive, $200 plus for a 2" piece of glass doesn't cut it with me unfortunately.

Cheers

[renormalised]

You know, regardless of the fringe, I'd use it on some targets...it's actually not that bad. Plus, some clever processing might reduce the fringe anyway. An apo is better, but it's way more expensive.

[TrevorW]

The primary problem with this image is the lack of data being only 9 minutes a lot of colour and depth hasn't been acheived.

If I had the 1 hrs data I was aimimg for hopefully it would have been a pearler.

Alas it will have to wait for another night it's 9:30pm in Perth and still 34c expecting 42 tommorow.

Again thanks for the feedback

:D

[Hagar]

Nice image Trevor. I thought you might cop some flack over the difraction spikes. I did. I have to admitt I like the image without the spikes in this case as they tended to clutter the image a bit. Remember it's your image and if you like them it's up to you anyway.
Keep at it mate.

[leon]

Now I'll upset him Doug, :lol: :lol: Trevor that was bloody terrible imaging, :scared: and with all those spikes, :P indeed, :thumbsup: actually mate it was quite good :doh:

Leon :thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

Very pretty.
I liked the first version too.
I bought a fringe killer to use with my sw120, and it really didn't help all that much.

[TrevorW]

The diffraction spikes where added using Carboni's Astronomy actions in PS.

They make the image stand out more as long as they are not overdone.

Star clusters in some ways especially without nebulosity IMO are quite bland by themselves.

[Ric]

Great capture Trevor, quite a pretty little cluster.

I quite liked both versions of the cluster.

Cheers